Marketing Strategies of the Newspapers in Nasik
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CHAPTER V MARKETING STRATEGIES OF NEWSPAPERS A. PRESENT STRATEGIES IN NASIK p.156 B. MARKETING STRATEGIES OF SAKAL p. 180 MARKETING STRATEGIES OF THE NEWSPAPERS IN NASIK Today is the world of changing era, with modern changes in tastes, fashions, technology and higher standard of living. In the new environment of technology and competition, company cannot depend only on its existing products. Change in customers' needs and preferences, wants and desires, their high expectation for new and improved products have enforced the companies to bring new, modern and superior products in the market. For this, every company must establish and evaluate new product, develop new ideas and strategies. In newspaper industry, competition is not under control. It is increasing day by day. Every newspaper is trying to expand it's market, introducing new schemes for the readers. The population of Nasik is above ten lakh. But the total sale of newspapers in this advanced city is not more than three lakhs copies per day. So, there is huge market for every newspaper. There are four cable news channel but they have not posed any challenge before the newspaper in Nasik. After Mumbai & Pune, Nasik is '; fastest growing industrial city in the state. There are various class of ' readers. Features of newspapers Market in Nasik . 1. Growing Market :- The market of newspapers is growing day by day. Besides local newspapers, regional newspapers from Mumbai, Pune are circulated in Nasik. Not even Marathi but National level English newspaper like Times of India, Indian Express, The Asian Age, Hindu, Hindustan Times ,etc. are circulated in Nasik. 2. Variety of Readers:- Nasik is industrial city. It is important religious place in the country. So, various people daily visits this city, some of them resides permanently. These people are eager to know what is happening at their native place. This need can be fulfilled through regional newspapers. So, newspapers get new kind of reader. There are Marathi, 155 Hindi, English & Urdu readers in Nasik Each of these prefers newspapers of theit choiCG 3. Impact of Electronic Media :- Before five years ago, the T V news channel were less than today. Hence, newspapers used to read more. Readers used to give more time to reading. But now a days situation changed, special Hindi channels tike Aaj Tak, Zee News, Star News, Marathi channel like Alpha and E T.V, are becoming popular, because they are satisfying the wants of the readers. But the local coverage is possible , through newspapers only. Though the people views the channels, their real (need of reading is satisfied by the newspaper. So, there is good result of • I \ •|;electronic media on newspapers market. .4/ High level of Litracy :- Nasik is important city in the state. There are important government offices, educational institutions like Medical University, Open University .Defence centre like Deolali, M.I.D.C. like Satpur & Ambad. Due to all this, the standard of living of the people in Nasik is high. So, naturaly the litarcy rate is also good which is benefit for the newspapers. 5. Preference to the quality-The readers in the Nasik prefers qualitative newspapers. There are newspapers which publishes fake news They are Sandhyanand, Punya Nagri, which are circulated in Nasik also. But readers in Nasik gives preference to the qualitative newspapers like Sakal, Loksatta, Maharashtra Times & local newspapers like Gavkari, Deshdoot, etc. These newspapers covers local as well as national news, so the real need of the readers is satisfied. Present Strategies of the Newspapers According to conventional belief, consumer everywhere is a consumer and hence, his needs , aspirations and attitudes will also be the same. Hence, it is assumed that the volume of the readers of the newspapers is increasing day by day. To retain & acquire more share of the market, management of the newspapers in Nasik has adopted following strategies. 1. Rwduction in the price of newspaper 156 This is the deadly weapon used by the management of the newspaper. The price of the standard newspaper in Nasik is Rs,2.50, If considorod Iho all expenditures (e.g. pay scale, cost of newsprint) the actual cost of newspaper goes up to Rs. 8 to 10 per copy. So , to offer the newspaper at rupee one today, is not affordable But newspaper like Lokmat had offered it's copy for rupee one at the time of launching in Nasik. It was for one year. Due to this, sale of Lokmat reached to one lakh per day. Before three year ago i.e. in 1999, all the managers of newspapers in Nasik sat together & increased the price from Rs. two to Rs.2.50 which is existed today. Table No.20 Name of the Newspaper Daily price (per copy) Lokmat 2.50 Sakal 2.50 Gavkari 2.50 Deshdoot 2.50 .Rambhoomi Bhramer 1.00 Lokshahi Aghadi 1.00 2. Collaboration with other Publication How to survive is the crucial question before every person. Same is the case of newspaper industry. Though the Lokmat is largest circulated Daily in Marathi, it tied up with the national English Daily, The Asian Age. Due to this, it is getting different kind of news, fresh photographs & news. Local newspaper like Deshdoot also tied up with weekly Chitralekha. This weekly is circulated alongwith Daily Deshdoot on every Sunday, which have attracted the news readers. 3.Compromise on advertisement rate Advertisement is the main source of revenue for the newspapers. Due to only advertisement, a newspaper can run and stay in the market. Due to 157 local T.V. channel, some part of adve-lisement turned to it. It is loss of the newspapers. There is great depression in the market. It also affected on tthe revenue of newspapers. So, newspapers are forced to accept the '^civertisement at any lower rate. Local newspapers like Gavkari & Deshdoot always compromise in this connection. Lokmat also do it. Table No .21 Newspaper Rate of Adv. Compramlse Lokmat 250 200 Sakal 160 160 Gavkari 150 100 Deshdoot 180 100 Rambhoomi ~ — Bhramar 75 50 Lokshahi Aghadi 50 25 Manav 50 25 4. Reduction in page average : In India till 1956, there was no production of newsprint In this year Madhya Pradesh started paper mill. In 1982, Kerala Hindustan newsprint Company started. Foreign newspaper is cheaper than Indian. 1* The major share of expenditure of a newspaper is incurred on newsprint. The companies which produce this newsphnt, always increase the price. Besides this, government impose heavy tax on newsprint. At the same time, revenue from advertisement is decreasing, so there is in no alternative before the management of the newspaper to reduce the pages This helps to control huge daily expenditure. Page Average means the average pages of newspaper in a week or month. It depends upon the percentage of the advertise. If the .advertisments are below 20 to 25 percent per page, then pages on that day 1* Daiy Sakal clipping- 7/12/94 158 for the newspaper are lower than usual. The percentage of advertise and news is now a days is 50 : 50 percent. If the advertise goes behind 50 percent or touch to it, then only pages of newspaper are increased. Due to heavy competition in Nasik, the page average is lower. Table ND.22 Page Average of Newspapers in Nasik Newspaper Pages per day Sunday Lokmat 16 24 Gavkari 14 22 Deshdoot 14 22 Sakal 12 18 Bhramar 4 „ Lokshahi Aghadi 4 ~ Manav 4 ~ 5. To offer various schemes Management of the newspaper offer various scheme to the readers, agents etc. If a reader becomes member for a year, he gets concession in price. In Nasik, Deshdoot had offered steelness still pots, gold & silver coins. Lokmat have offered previlege card scheme . Deshdoot launched different schemes on Sunday. It gives weekly Chitra Lekha at free of cost with Sunday copy. .There are schemes for newspaper agents also For particular increase in sell, Gavkari have offered colour T.V., Freeze, to the newspaper agents. Lokmat is giving more commission to the agents. Deshdoot is giving free copy per copy on certain conditions to the agents. There is discount in bill also. 6. To Arrange Competition and to sponser the events 159 Newspaper were mission before independence of India. Now a days, it is mere profession. To increase the volume of the business & attract new readers, newspapers are arranging various competition & sponsoring the various events. Drawing competition by Sakal, cricket competition by Lokmat, Mehandi competition by Deshdoot, are the few examples of this. Gavkari sponsors decoration com.petition at Ganesh Festival. Recently, Yuva Sakal had arranged poem competition for youths. Due to this events and schemes, vanous class of readers is joined to the newspaper. 7.T0 Accept Social Responsibility Newspapers are bearing Social responsibility, which helps to improve their image. At the time of Marathwada earthquake & Gujarat earthquake, newspaper in Nasik had collected funds from public. At the time of Kargil war, these newspapers also collected the funds. Newspapers publish the news of neglected & economically backward sector, which is a social work. Newspapers are solving the social problems also. 8. New type of experiments There is no alternative to the research and new experiments in newspaper's field. Because foreign print media is trying to enter in India markec. Sakal is ahead of other newspapers in research work. Sakal have started quality circle in every unit. This circle try to locate loopholes in working process & correct the mistakes. Good things are encouraged in this circle. In every unit & every department, this circle is in existance. Aurangabad & Pune unit of quality circle achieved the success at national level. Another experiment of Sakal is Newspaper in education.